Re: Gerard Q&A pt. II

[Anna Slastanova <annaslastanova@gm...com>]

But isn't it also about not "selling out" and not doing only what
everybody else expects?

On 8 May 2011 19:48, chris kemp <cjkemp@gm...com> wrote:
> It's all about the relationship between the artist and the people who
> support him. You hope it's based on mutual respect. Sometimes it isn't.
> Maybe, for the next album, Gerard will ask us all to listen to it with 
> our
> trousers off and a spoon balanced on our noses.
>
> On Sun, May 8, 2011 at 2:27 PM, Paul Vearncombe
> <paul_vearncombe@ho...com> wrote:
>>
>> I told myself I wouldn't be drawn into this, but...
>>
>> I must make the comparison of the latest Radiohead album which I was led
>> to believe would ONLY be available as a download.  I paid me cash,
>> downloaded it, which was easy, struggled with Bastard Windows Media 
>> Player
>> (full title) for bloody ages to burn it onto a CD because I'm not that
>> clever anymore, and listened to it.  Then they released it on CD 
>> anyway.  I
>> have learnt something from this experience.
>>
>> I love the Blue Aeroplanes.  I want to hear the album.  It's being
>> released on vinyl.  I don't own a turntable.  I won't hear it right 
>> away,
>> but someday I have no doubt it will become available on CD or 
>> download at
>> some point.  Gerard said he would never re-release Bagpipe Music, but 
>> there
>> it is on my shelf in all its shiny digital glory.  It doesn't sound as 
>> good
>> as the vinyl, but at least I can play it and enjoy it.
>>
>> Let Gerard make his artistic statement, which has got us all talking 
>> about
>> the album, and let's just wait until the dust settles.  A little less 
>> anger
>> and a bit more tolerance for the whim of the artist, I think.  
>> Meanwhile I
>> might play Bagpipe Music now, just because I can.
>>
>> PV2
>>
>> ________________________________
>> Date: Sun, 8 May 2011 14:13:32 -0400
>> From: cjkemp@gm...com
>> To: blueplanes@bl...org
>> Subject: Re: [BluePlanes] Gerard Q&A pt. II
>>
>> Um. Right. Well, thanks to Trevor for interpreting the beliefs of the
>> band. However, the band that I've been listening to for twenty-five 
>> years
>> never seemed overly precious regarding the sound. Have they? Have you
>> listened to the early albums lately? They were determinedly and 
>> defiantly
>> low-fi. The mistakes were left in. They were the moments we valued most 
>> of
>> all. Gerard's delivery was unrehearsed and would have almost all of its
>> charm if its accidental hesitations and its West Country burr were 
>> removed
>> either by production or practice.
>>
>> In fact, the more produced The Blue Aeroplanes became, the less 
>> accessible
>> they sounded. For its gloss, Altitude has significantly less soul and
>> immediacy than those early singles and B-sides collected on
>> FriendLoverPlane. We all have several versions of Warhol's Fifteen. The 
>> most
>> under-produced version, I think, is the one that appeared on Tolerance. 
>> And
>> I'm okay with that.
>>
>> The Blue Aeroplanes are, I'm sure, many things to many people. But now
>> you're expecting me to subscribe to the theory that they are a band 
>> making
>> highly-produced music for sound nerds, filled with subtleties that only 
>> the
>> most arcane medium will allow us to appreciate?
>>
>> Just like the debates here about sound and fidelity and formats and 
>> medium
>> and files. It's all bull. I don't believe Gerard or Rodney spend 
>> $20,000 on
>> speakers and worry about this stuff. Do you really think Gerard walks 
>> around
>> his house worrying about what the position of the sofa is doing to the
>> acoustics in his living room?
>>
>> Seriously?
>>
>> I don't.
>>
>> On Sun, May 8, 2011 at 1:24 PM, Trevor <boyds56@ti...co.uk> wrote:
>>
>> The way I see it is that, like me, the band realise that over the years
>> the formats for listening to music have become like the equivalent of 
>> fast
>> food - convenient but mostly shit.  I've bought CD's like anyone else 
>> and
>> they vary - in recent times producers have aimed to create the warmth of
>> analogue recordings with mixed success but it's getting better.
>> I'm not a vinyl snob but it is for me the format that wins hands down -
>> the big pallette on which to do the artwork rather than the pissy 
>> little CD
>> size - the warmth and 'real' sound that you get and the fact that it 
>> makes
>> you sit down and listen to it.  Listening to vinyl is an event - you 
>> can't
>> take it on the train and play it - MP3's are convernient but by 
>> comparison
>> they sound shit.  And there's a big sleeve to look at while you're 
>> listening
>> to the music.
>> Unless you prefer the equivalent of McDonalds burgers then frankly 
>> you're
>> welcome to it.
>> Quality rather than convenience and taking the time and effort - vinyl
>> wins hands down.  That's the artistic statement and if their stance gets
>> people to buy more turntables and dig out their old vinyl records and 
>> sit in
>> front of their stereos then great.
>>
>>
>> So the artistic statement is that
>> On 8 May 2011, at 12:15, phil mason wrote:
>>
>> I've got a turntable, thanks.
>> I'd hope that the music would be the greater artistic statement than the
>> choice of format.
>> What do you suppose the artistic statement is, Trevor?
>> And, like that old tree falling in the forest, is it still a statement 
>> if
>> there's noone there to hear it?
>> Phil
>>
>> On 8 May 2011, at 12:00, Trevor wrote:
>>
>> There's a simple answer  - if you cannot see that the BA's are an art 
>> band
>> and releasing it on vinyl only is an artistic statement then WTF?  I 
>> think
>> it's a great move.
>> Just get a turntable - simples.
>>
>> Just get a fuckin tirntable
>> On 8 May 2011, at 01:11, phil mason wrote:
>>
>> Well, I haven't been grumpy on this list since, ummm, the last time I 
>> was
>> grumpy on this list, but... What exactly was the point of that Q&A? 
>> Gerard
>> is clearly an extremely (and, as far as I can tell, an infuriatingly)
>> complicated person with a brainful of fascinating ideas, some of which, 
>> all
>> too occasionally, manifest themselves in our ear-holes. Can no-one come 
>> up
>> with some questions more worthy of an answer than "wots yer faverit 
>> choon?".
>> Even Jools Holland could do better than that. I don't suppose Gerard 
>> offers
>> up such banalities when he's teaching on his songwriting course. Sorry,
>> Nick, but "almost entirely devoid of any relevant content" doesn't add 
>> up to
>> "tantalising" in my book.
>> The biggest Q for most of us, I suspect, which got a characteristically
>> batted into the long grass A, was "why vinyl only?".  I am baffled by
>> Gerard's apparent wish to make the album as minimally available as 
>> possible
>> while at the same time expressing such great enthusiasm for it. Unless
>> anyone has any genuinely enlightening explanation for this unusual 
>> marketing
>> strategy then we could be forgiven for concluding that it's just 
>> downright
>> perverse. The story has been dragging on too long for it still to be
>> credible that there is some subtle world-conquering masterplan being 
>> played
>> out here.
>> Hope the gigs go well, and come and see us in King Tut's again as soon 
>> as
>> you like.
>> Yours,
>> Frustrated of Glasgow
>>
>>
>> On 3 Apr 2011, at 17:42, Nathaniel Mumford wrote:
>>
>> here's part
>> 2: http://albtwo.blogspot.com/2011/04/gerard-langley-talks-anti-gravity-pt-2.html
>> ________________________________
>> From: nickw@bl...co.uk
>> To: blueplanes@bl...org
>> Date: Fri, 1 Apr 2011 18:48:10 +0100
>> Subject: Re: [BluePlanes] Anti-Gravity
>>
>> Thanks for that - very tantalising little interview, makes me really 
>> want
>> to hear the album NOW!
>>
>> Will be buying a new stylus in time for the release.
>>
>> NW2
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: Nathaniel Mumford
>> To: blueplanes@bl...org
>> Sent: Friday, April 01, 2011 5:29 PM
>> Subject: Re: [BluePlanes] Anti-Gravity
>>
>> OK, so some of you will know our label helped to put out 'China 
>> Brilliance
>> Automotive', and we're going to be doing something similar with the 
>> release
>> of the album. It's excellent, by the way, if that's not betraying any
>> confidences.
>> Gerard took the time to answer a few questions from us about the album &
>> other stuff that you can find on our blog - http://albtwo.blogspot.com/
>> I'll put the rest up over the weekend.
>> Nat
>>
>>
>>
>> > From: nickw@bl...co.uk
>> > To: blueplanes@bl...org
>> > Date: Fri, 1 Apr 2011 13:38:07 +0100
>> > Subject: Re: [BluePlanes] Anti-Gravity
>> >
>> > Nice cover, though. Really unexpected.
>> >
>> > NW2
>> >
>> > ----- Original Message -----
>> > From: "Anna Slastanova" <annaslastanova@gm...com>
>> > To: <stevetreacle@ho...com>; "A Discussion list for The Blue
>> > Aeroplanes"
>> > <blueplanes@bl...org>
>> > Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2011 7:10 PM
>> > Subject: Re: [BluePlanes] Anti-Gravity
>> >
>> >
>> > I can see the tracklist on their website now:
>> >
>> > Side 1
>> >
>> > Sulphur
>> > Angels Carter
>> > 25 Kinds Of Love
>> > Oak Apple Day
>> > My Old Hanunts (Laughing With A Mouth Of Blood)
>> > Nothing
>> >
>> > Side 2
>> >
>> > Go Along With Me On This One
>> > Great Movie Clichés
>> > Pretty Head (Raising Cain & Pulses)
>> > One World Passport
>> > Born Again, Again
>> > Cancer Song
>> >
>> > And as much as I like vinyls, I really hope for the download link 
>> > too...
>> >
>> > Anna
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > On 31 March 2011 14:48, <stevetreacle@ho...com> wrote:
>> > > I've got a really good turntable! Can't wait for the new album!
>> > > ------------------
>> > >
>> > > -----Original Message-----
>> > > From: Rockerq@ao...com
>> > > Sender: blueplanes-bounces@bl...org
>> > > Date: Thu, 31 Mar 2011 09:41:20
>> > > To: <blueplanes@bl...org>
>> > > Reply-To: A Discussion list for The Blue Aeroplanes
>> > > <blueplanes@bl...org>
>> > > Subject: Re: [BluePlanes] Anti-Gravity
>> > >
>> > > _______________________________________________
>> > > The Blue Aeroplanes mailing list
>> > > BluePlanes@bl...org
>> > > http://www.blueaeroplanes.org/
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > _______________________________________________
>> > > The Blue Aeroplanes mailing list
>> > > BluePlanes@bl...org
>> > > http://www.blueaeroplanes.org/
>> > >
>> >
>> > _______________________________________________
>> > The Blue Aeroplanes mailing list
>> > BluePlanes@bl...org
>> > http://www.blueaeroplanes.org/
>> >
>> >
>> > _______________________________________________
>> > The Blue Aeroplanes mailing list
>> > BluePlanes@bl...org
>> > http://www.blueaeroplanes.org/
>>
>> ________________________________
>> _______________________________________________
>> The Blue Aeroplanes mailing list
>> BluePlanes@bl...org
>> http://www.blueaeroplanes.org/
>>
>> _______________________________________________ The Blue Aeroplanes
>> mailing list BluePlanes@bl...org http://www.blueaeroplanes.org/
>> _______________________________________________
>> The Blue Aeroplanes mailing list
>> BluePlanes@bl...org
>> http://www.blueaeroplanes.org/
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> The Blue Aeroplanes mailing list
>> BluePlanes@bl...org
>> http://www.blueaeroplanes.org/
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> The Blue Aeroplanes mailing list
>> BluePlanes@bl...org
>> http://www.blueaeroplanes.org/
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> The Blue Aeroplanes mailing list
>> BluePlanes@bl...org
>> http://www.blueaeroplanes.org/
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> The Blue Aeroplanes mailing list
>> BluePlanes@bl...org
>> http://www.blueaeroplanes.org/
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> "I am getting so far out, one day I won't come back at all."
>>
>> -- William S. Burroughs
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________ The Blue Aeroplanes
>> mailing list BluePlanes@bl...org http://www.blueaeroplanes.org/
>> _______________________________________________
>> The Blue Aeroplanes mailing list
>> BluePlanes@bl...org
>> http://www.blueaeroplanes.org/
>>
>
>
>
> --
> "I am getting so far out, one day I won't come back at all."
>
> -- William S. Burroughs
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> The Blue Aeroplanes mailing list
> BluePlanes@bl...org
> http://www.blueaeroplanes.org/
>
>

_______________________________________________
The Blue Aeroplanes mailing list
BluePlanes@bl...org
http://www.blueaeroplanes.org/